ISTOCK, MARCBRUXELLECanada’s long-term shift toward applied research has deterred that nation’s scientists from pursing fundamental science, according to a report published yesterday (June 28).
This analysis was based on a survey of 1,303 Canadian researchers conducted by the Global Young Academy, an international society of 200 early-career scientists. It notes that the number of researchers who only conducted basic science dropped from 24 percent in 2006 to 1.6 percent in 2015. During the same period, the proportion of investigators who solely conducted applied researched also declined—from 47 percent to 25 percent—but still remained significantly higher.
The report also states that, between 2005 to 2015, there was a sharp decline in grant application success rates for fundamental research programs. This corresponded with a decrease in funds for this type of science: in 2005, the nation’s three granting agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ...
